Sheet-metal-edging machine



Oct. 12 ,1926.

S. OBRIEN SHEET METAL EDGING MACHINE Filed Nov. '7. 1924 Mum PatentedOct. 12, 1926 teezsez PATENT OFFICE,

STEPHEN OBRIEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHEET-METAL-EDGING MACHINE.

Application filed November This invention relates to a machine foredging sheet material, and relates more particularly to a machineforflanging the edges of sheet metal.

A prime object of the present invention comprchends the provision of asheet metal edging machine'in which the edge forming mechanism or toolsare designed, constructed and inter-related to operate upon sheet metalfed thereto to produce flanged edges of uniform characteristics. Inedging machines of known designs and types, it has been found dillicultto produce flanged edges of uniform or constant width and angularity,such machines requiring the skillful handling and feeding of the metalto the forming tools by trained workers or operatives where consistentresults in producing a uniform product are desired. To overcome thedifficulties inherent in these machines of prior designs, and to producean edge forming machine in which the sheet metal is automaticallyoperated upon by the forming tools for producing flanged edges ofconsistent characteristics such as uniform width and angularity, is aprime desideratum of my present invention.

Further principal objects of my present invention include the provisionof an edging machine in whichthe parts are constructed and relativelyarranged so that the strains and stresses produced by the operation ofthe forming mechanism on the sheet metal are efficiently supported andcounteracted, yielding a well balanced structure and one in which wearand tear is minimized; the further provision of a sheet metal edgingmachine designed to accommodate sheet metal of different thicknesses,the parts being adjustable by the operative in a simple manner to suitthe stock employed; and the still further provision of an edging machineembodying relatively simple mechanism capable of facile operation andeasy adjustment and repair, the whole providing a comparativelyinexpensive assembly capable of being used and manipulated by unskilledhelp.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as willhereinafter 7, 1924. Serial No, 748,333.

appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one tothe other, as hereinafter particularly described and sought to bedefined in the claims; reference being had to the accompanying drawingswhich show the preferred embodiment of mynvention, and in which:

Fig, 1 is a perspective view of the machine of my present invention,

1g. 2 is a side elevational View thereof with parts shown incross-section,

Fig. '3 is a. plan view thereof taken in cross-sect on on the line 33,Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 IS a diagrammatic and fragmentary view of the forming tools shownon an enlarged scale. Referring now more in detailto the drawings,inwhich I show a preferred embodiment of my invention, the edgingmachine comprises a supporting structure or frame f which may be asuitable casting of rectangular formation having a bottom wall 10, a topWall 11. and the front and rear walls 12 and 13, the said frame beingprovided with an integral standard or stud post 14 for supporting theframe in operative position. The frame f supports the operative parts ofthe edging machine, including a main drive shaft 15 and a second shaft16 geared to the main' drive shaft 15 by means of the meshing 'xedrespectively edging pinions 17 and 18 h to the shafts 15 and 16, bothshafts being journalled, as will be described more in detailhereinafter, in the front and rear Walls 12 and 13 of the frame 7". Theshaft 15 has an extension 15 which is designed ta beoonnected to anysuitable source of power for driving the same, and when operated willimpart rotation tothe shaft 16 for positively operating in matingrelation the edge forming tools 6 and e which are secured to the ends ofthe shafts 15 and 16, as clearly shown in the drawings.

As heretofore stated, a prime'desideratum of my present inventioncomprehends the provision of a sheet metal edging machine in Which theedge forming mechanism or tools are designed, constructed andinterrelated to operate upon sheet metal fed thereto, to produceautomatically flanged uniform width and angularity. ends the edgeforming mechanism and e embody structure for operating upon the sheetmetal fed thereto to assure the uniform inturning or flanging of themetal edges. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, asexemplified in the drawings, the edge forming tools 6 and e comprisemale and female edging rolls embodying means for automatically producingflanged edges of predetermined widths. More specifically, he femaleedging roll 6 is provided with an annular channel 19 defined by an edgeforming face 20, and a curved or concave edge guiding face 21 the radiusof curvature of which is substantially equal to the width of the edge tobe formed, and as diagramm'atically shown in Fig. 1 of the d savings,the curved or arcuate-shaped face has a radius of curvature r the centerwhich is at the angle of the forming faces 20 and of the female roll.The male edging roll 0 is provided with an annular flange shaped member23 which mates with the annular channel 19 of the female roll foroperating upon the edge of a sheet metal blank 1 to flange the same, asis clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. ll ith thisconstruction it will be apparent that the edging rolls will operate toforce the edge of the metal blank into the annular channel of the femaleroll, and that the guide face 2 1 of the forming channel will guide theedge of the metal fed thereto, as is shown in 2 of the drawings, so asto prevent any increase in the width of the metal that is being inturnedor flanged, the construction. operating to assure the production offlanges of predetermined and uniform wid hs.

in the operation of the machine, as Will he evident for example from aconsideration of Fig. E3 of the drawings, the cooperation of the edgeforming faces of the edging rolls 6 and e produces opposed axial thrustsand stresses on the shafts 15 and 16, and for the purpose of suitablysupporting and eiiiciently counteracting these stresses, 1 providebearing means for the shafts 15 and 16 constructed to act axially inopposition, suitably supporting the stresses not only, but producingefficient mating relation between the edge forming rolls c and e.Accordingly the shaft 15 is provided with a ball bearing supportgenerally designated as 2% having a stator section 24 fixed to the rearwall 13 of the frame 7 and having a rotor section 2% fixed to the shaft15, the ball bearing sections cooperatin to support the axial thrustwhich is produced on the edging roll 6. The shaft 16 is in turn providedwith a ball bearing str icture 95 designed to support the axial thrustson the shaft 16 which are pro duced on the edging roll 6, these thrustsbeing in a direction opposed to those produced edges of 'lo these ortools a Leoaeea The hall. hearing structure 25 also comp-uses a statorsection 25 which is movably secured to the fra 1e in a man-- ner to hedescribed presently, and a rotor section 25 vhich is en to the shaft 16.

To adapt the apparatus for dill'erent dimensions of sheet meta st ch,and to adjust the machine for the operation desired, the male edgingroll 6 and its operating shaft are mounted so to be capable ofadjustment by the operative. To these ends provide means r-rhich may 0he manually iianipulated for moving the shaft 16 axially and laterallyrelatively to the shaft 15, the axial motion being produced hv manuallymani related. means ge d as m.

ally dc. and the latera adjustment being en'ected by means generallydesignated as m.

The adjusting ii e- 't in the preferred constructitni compr' ekemen'iher 2:) having arms and tensions and 30, p d yoke mcnilier 1 hall233 by mean o1. re member a d from the frame wall 12:3 and lever 32vrnich is thread- )y the shank 3 3 of a holt 3i pi otally mo hie l of ti1e, the said lever on e wall of the y f 5; the same against the actionof a Y in"; which encirc es the bolt shanl; 2-33.

The adj: N m for securing he lateral met '1 of i raft it; may comprise acrank arm 31' threadedly remixed l 0 W3 n 1 frame wall .1

Elle shank 88 which the ing a the the cranir ti seated a moot; iii) inwhich ml y y l bile said elocl-i ee- ,g/ 1 I I 1 r all Pltxlltttltl r d1'. a a Loopera ring w i ere is nrovmcu a spring;

)1 i nloc lt) so to he active in poos to the cranl: arm 32' a dcoop'iatiig "ith to position the shaft l ith ta construction it will heapp arent tiat t hine may be adjusted to accommodate s cl; of dii'ie entthicimesse the manually maniymlated means m and in hehnately operated toproduce the del l rc alts 1n the preferred ope): niacin re. the edgingof the sh flanges of uniform have provided ,a machine embodying relatively simple mechanism for automatically operatii'ig upon sheet metaledges to produce and consistent characteristics, [themachine-beingacapable of being used by unskilledoperatives. Itwill-befurtl-ier evident tl'iatitheparts of the machine are adapted for easyadjustment to accommodate or suit different stock and to pro duce bothoperating steps, the parts of the machine being relatively coordinatedto minimize wear and tear and to permit facile and rapid operation.

lVhile I have shown my device in the pr ferred form, it will be obviousthat many changes and modifications may be made in the structuredisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for edging sheet material comprising male and female edgingrolls,

the female edging roll having an annular channel formed therein anddefined by a straight edge forming face and a curved edge guiding facethe radius of curvature of which is substantially equal to the width ofthe edge to be formed.

A machine for edging sheet material comprising male and female edgingrolls, the female edging roll having an annular 1 channel formed thereinand defined by an edge forming face and a curved edge guiding face theradius of curvature of which is substantially equal to the width of theedge to be formed, the said male edging roll including an annular membermating with the annular channel of the female edging roll.

3. A machine for edging sheet material comprising male and female edgingrolls, a pair of shafts carrying the edging rolls geared to be driventogether, the female edging roll having an annular channel formedtherein and defined by an edge forming face and a 7 face the radius ofcurvature of whichis sub stantially equal to the width of the edge to beformed, the said male edging roll including an annular member matingwith the annular channel of the female edging roll.

at. A machine for comprising a shaft, thereon, a second shaft, a maleforming roll on the second shaft mating with the female forming roll,the said female forming roll having an annular channel defined by anedge forming face and a curved edge guiding face the 'adius of curvatureof which is substantially equal to the width of the edge to be formed,the male forming roll having a face cooperating with the female rollactive in producing opposed axial thrusts on the shafts, a ball bearingfor the first menedging sheet material laterally relatively to thecurved edge guiding a female formin roll tioned shaft supporting ztheasamev ragainst axial thrusts --in onehdirectionz and ball 50. A machinefor--ed"in n sheet 'metal comprising a shaft, anedging'tool. thereon, asecond shaft, an edging tool on the second shaft mating with the edgingtool on the first shaft, means for supporting the second shaft to movethe same axially and first mentioned shaft, and means manuallymanipulable during the operation of the machine. for effecting the axialand lateral adjustment of said second shaft.

6. A machine for edging sheetmaterial comprising a shaft, a femaleedging roll thereon, a second shaft, a male edging roll on the secondshaft, the said female edging roll having an annular channel formedtherein and defined by an edge forming face and a curved edge guidingface of uniform curvature, and means for adjusting the second shaftaxially and laterally relatively to the first shaft.

7. A machine for edging sheet material comprising a shaft, an edgingroll thereon, a second shaft, an edging roll on the second shaft matingwith the edging roll on the first shaft, manually m'anipulable means formoving the second shaft laterally of the first shaft and manuallymanipulable means for moving the second shaft axially relatively to thefirst shaft, both of said means being simultaneously operative duringthe operation of the machine for adjusting one edging roll relatively tothe other.

A machine comprising a frame, a shaft journalled in the frame, an edgingtool fixed to said shaft, a second shaft geared to the first mentionedshaft, an edging tool on the second shaft, and adjustable bearing meansfor the second shaft including a yoke member supported by the frame andmanually manipulable means for moving the yoke member during theoperation of the machine.

9. A machine for edging sheet material comprising a shaft, a formingroll thereon, a second shaft, a forming roll on thesecond shaft matingwith the forming roll on the first shaft, the forming rolls includingedge forming faces cooperatingv with each other and active in producingopposed axial thrusts on said shafts, and adjustable bearing means forthe second shaft including an adjustable block movable in the frame ofsaid machine against the axial thrusts on the shaft, and a yoke membersupported by and adjustable relatively to said machine frame.

10. A-machine for comprising a frame, the frame, an edging edging sheetmaterial a shaft journalled in tool fixed to said shaft,

for edging sheet material a second shaft geared to the first mentionedshaft, an edging tool on the second shaft, and adjustable bearing meansfor the second shaft including a block movable in said frame, manuallymanipulable means for adjusting the block, a yoke member supported byand movable relatively to the frame, a

ball bearing supported in the yoke member, and manually manipulablemeans for moving the yoke member.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 3rd day of November, A. D. 1924.

STEPHEN OBRIEN.

